


i've got a crush, my baby, on you

by lunarcrowley



Series: my funny valentine [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: After Dangerous Minds, Awkwardness, Cockblocking, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Foreplay, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Impatience, Insecure Nick, Light Angst, Multi, Mutual Crushes, Office Sex, Playful Sole, Polyamory, Quickie, Robot Sex, Roughness, Sexual Tension, Shy Nick, Smoking, Sole is a raging pansexual, Synth Nick is a Virgin, Tenderness, There is some exposition, Trust, Validation, appreciation, before things get complicated, blatant honesty, heat of the moment, it's mostly nick and sole, the other relationships are just implied or mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:34:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22288717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarcrowley/pseuds/lunarcrowley
Summary: The Sole Survivor realizes she has a crush on Nick Valentine and decides, on a whim, to let him know.
Relationships: Female Sole Survivor/John Hancock, Female Sole Survivor/Nick Valentine, Female Sole Survivor/Piper Wright, John Hancock/Piper Wright
Series: my funny valentine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866919
Comments: 8
Kudos: 116





	i've got a crush, my baby, on you

**Author's Note:**

> sorry bethesda i just really wanna fuck nick! also, sorry that this is kind of dumb ... i hope it's enjoyable nonetheless! these two are dorks and belong together, send tweet

Dusk was falling when Sole knocked on Detective Valentine’s door. 

“Come on in,” She heard his gruff voice call.

She opened the rusty door and sauntered into the doorframe, and leaned there. “Hey, Nick,” She said, and cracked a smile.

Nick looked up from the paperwork he was scanning at the front desk, and smiled as well as his metal face would let him. “Hey there, doll,” He said. He reached for his pack of cigarettes and put one between his lips, then flicked his lighter till it lit. He leaned back in his chair, and smoke puffed from the corners of his mouth. “Come on in and shut the door, would ya?” He scolded. 

“Oh, yeah,” She said, still smiling, and closed the door noisily behind her. She crossed her arms and leaned on it. 

“What can I do for ya? I mean, besides our ongoing investigation. Unless that’s what you want to talk about,” Nick supplied. He propped his feet up on his desk and crossed his ankles. He pulled on the cigarette and smoke wisped all around him, from the cracks in his hard outer shell.

It had been a few weeks at least since Sole had talked to Nick. Since they’d done that whole experiment with Kellogg’s brain. New lead. They had to act before the trail went cold.

It had also been a few weeks since Sole had heard Kellogg’s last words of revenge, echoed from the grave, through the mouth of one of the only people she was actually starting to trust. 

“Yeah, of course,” Sole said, somewhat solemnly. She had spent the past few weeks running around the Wasteland with Hancock, fixing problems here and there. She desperately wanted to find her son. It had become hard. She was not sure who to trust. The Brotherhood. Or Valentine. Both. Or nobody. 

She needed time. Distance. Some space to breathe, between these breakthroughs. She wasn’t running away so much as putting herself back together, a few towns away from the situation.

“Ready anytime you are. The Glowing Sea ain’t going anywhere, but, you know. Other things might.” Nick said.

Sole nodded, slowly. Her face was shadowed in the dim light and creased with the weight of 200 years. She must have looked overly vulnerable, because Nick offered her a cigarette.

“Yeah, please,” She said. She took a few steps forward, and took it. Nick held up the lighter. She leaned down, elbows on the desk, by his suede shoes, and he leaned forward easily and lit it for her. In that moment she looked into his eyes. Electric and golden, and as usual, piercing. His hand, chipped and wiry, was inches away from her face.

Once fire caught the end, he pulled the lighter away and flipped it closed, then tossed it onto the desk. Sole drew back after lingering a moment, and took a long pull. As she blew out a long trail of smoke and sighed, she leaned back against a disorganized filing cabinet and propped her hip against the edge of his desk. She closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the burn of the smoke, the shot of nicotine straight to her brain.

“It’s tough, Nick.” She murmured, her eyes still closed, her brow furrowed. 

“I can imagine it is, doll. You wanna sit down and talk about it a while? That’s what I’m here for.”

Sole was feeling cold and sort of hopeless. But Nick’s words, ever so comforting, warmed her a little. She exhaled deeply once more, and turned to look at the empty chair in front of Nick’s desk. She turned it around and threw her leg over it, straddling the back of its metal frame. She leaned over and flicked the ashes from the tip of her cig into the ashtray on the edge of the desk. Nick looked at her expectantly.

“Ah, you know the story, Nick. I just want to find Shaun. But it’s so much more complicated than that. Hard to keep going sometimes, you know?”

Nick nodded reassuringly. “I know. But hey, we’ll find him. I know we will. We’ve come this far, from nothing.”

Sole rested her chin on the chair back, her hands gripping either side of the supports. “You’ve helped me so much, Nick. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.” She said sincerely, her eyes softening.

Nick nodded. He was very modest about these things. “Just doing my job. Besides, I got stakes in this game, too, with the Institute. It’s important. You deserve to have your son back,” He said.

Sole was often so touched by Nick’s gentle selflessness. He was so willing to help and risk himself for anyone. For her. They had had this conversation multiple times already, and every time, he was patient and reassuring.

“Thank you,” She murmured, softly, and looked into his eyes again. Rare to find such a fast friend. Someone who really stuck to their word, and always followed through. Even when Kellogg had spoken through Nick - she knew it wasn't him. Nick had more strength in one metal finger than Kellogg had ever had in his entire body.

They were quiet for a few moments, smoking their cigs. Filling the room with a fine clouding of smoke. 

“What’s that you’re looking at?” Sole asked.

Nick looked down at the case file briefly, where it lay open beneath his propped up legs. “‘Nother case. Missing person. That’s most of them these days, you know. Could use your help, if you’ve got the time.” 

“Love to,” Sole said, and cracked a small side smile. “Detective work is awfully fulfilling.”

“You come by it naturally. I had a feeling you would, when I met you.” The corners of Nick’s mouth curved into that crooked smile. 

“Oh, yeah?” Sole grinned now. How could he always cheer her up? With that rough voice of his, and his surprisingly kind words?

Nick nodded with an enthusiastic bob of his head. 

Sole thought for a moment. She felt a lot of affection for Nick... she was sure of that. One could say she'd developed a sort of co-worker crush on him. However, she wasn’t sure how much he could feel for her. Or if he was capable of anything that she sometimes thought of in the dark before she fell asleep. And at times like these, when her heart gave a little twinge as he spoke to her.

“We’re friends, right, Nick?” Sole asked suddenly.

“Oh? Yeah, I think so,” Nick said, with a humorous lilt to his voice.

“Good,” Sole said. “So can I tell you something?” May as well shoot her shot. 

Nick raised his forehead where his eyebrows might have been. “Sure, anything,” He encouraged. He seemed a little alarmed by this.

“Cool,” Sole began. “So, we - I mean, mostly me - might die on our trip to the Glowing Sea, right?”

Nick was suspicious. He chuckled quietly. “Well, I think either you could die, or I could ‘die’, at any moment during this investigation, or any investigation, or anywhere in the Wasteland, or even here in Diamond City, right now,” He paused. “Why, any last words?”

Sole shifted in her seat. “Well, I guess,” She began. She was growing more and more anxious about this, but really just wanted to throw it out there. Needed an excuse... “I kinda just wanted to express something. Can be rebuffed of course.”

Nick twitched a little. “You’re making me nervous,” He said honestly.

Sole sighed. “Yes, sorry. This is awkward. But I wanted to let you know. You’re so honest all the time. I ought to treat you the same,” She said. "Not sure if I should tell you, though," She exhaled. 

“Out with it, damn it,” Nick said impatiently. But it wasn’t harsh, so much as anxiously joking. He pulled deep on the cigarette and finished it, then smashed out the stub in the ashtray. "I won't judge you. I mean, look who you're talking to."

Sole winced at herself for even deciding to do this. It was dumb. But she wanted to say it. It felt urgent. Like if she didn't throw it out there, she might miss an opportunity, or make herself distant by keeping her true feelings too close to her chest. She rubbed her hands on her thighs, where they were spread to accommodate the chair backing. 

“Okay, well, in all our time together, and working closely together, and all your help, and being a rather flimsy human, I think I’ve grown somewhat... " She paused, and he leaned forwards curiously, gesturing for her to get on with it. She swallowed. "Um, attached to you. In a romantic way, I mean.” She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened one.

Nick looked shocked, and froze for a moment. He crossed his arms and gripped either side. His jaw fell open slightly, and then he closed it. He looked a little like he might be short circuiting. 

"That's funny. What chems are you on?” He said blankly. 

“Whoops,” Sole said, and felt herself blushing, hard. She threw her hands into the air, gave a goofy smile, and then let her forehead thunk against the metal chair frame. “Not high, not kidding,” She clarified. 

After what felt like forever, Nick finally spoke again. He pulled his legs back and put them on the ground, then crossed them, then let his robotic hand linger in the air. “Right, I thought you were joined at the hip with Hancock,” He said, his voice dry.

Sole propped her chin on the frame to look at him with a regretful expression. “I am. Open relationship sort of thing. In fact, I think just now he was checking out some drifter at the noodle bar,” She said.

“Ah,” Nick said awkwardly. “What about Piper? I thought, the way she looks at you, well...” He deflected once again. 

“Uhh, not sure, but... really? I’d definitely... I mean. It's different. I mean...” Sole felt her face burning. “Ugh!” She thunked her head again.

Nick was quiet again for a bit. When Sole peeked up at him again, he had his screwdriver out and was jacking with his metal hand. “You know, I’m just supposed to be your private detective,” He said, not looking at her. “Client, service provider relationship?” He said.

Sole threw her head back in anguish. “I know, Nick. I’m sorry. I just wanted to let you know. I maybe should not have,” She stared at the ceiling.

“Maybe not,” Nick agreed, his voice unreadable. 

Sole groaned. "Yeah. Sorry." She pressed her palm to her forehead, scrambling for something else to talk about. 

“A dame like you and an old rustbucket like me..” Nick trailed off, shaking his head.

Sole looked up at him, at that, and raised her eyebrows. “What..?" She said. She studied his entirely resigned and doubtful expression. "Damn, Nick, you really just don’t know it,” She shook her head.

“Know what!” He said, leaning forward now with his elbows on the table. His hat tilted to one side, casting a shadow over half his face, his tie loosely done, top buttons of his shirt open, patchy trench coat shrugged off at his back. His sleeves were rolled up, suspenders with his gun holster strapped to his shoulders. No doubt, he had handcuffs hooked to his dress pants belt loop. 

Sole exclaimed in surprise. “How sexy you are!” She said, and rocked back in the chair. 

Nick froze again, and stuttered for a second, made a few unintelligible sounds. He made a clanking noise, and then looked away from her. “That just ain’t true,” He murmured.

“Oh, Nick,” Sole said. She smiled, rocked the chair back to the ground. “Nick... you may be a scrappy old synth but... you’ve got an allure. I mean... the getup, the personality, the good heart... hell, even the broken up robot body...and all that, it makes you, you. You’re my friend, and I trust you, and I think about you a lot... ” She threw her hands in the air again, sighed, her face going a little pale, a dumb, honest grin on her lips. She felt unbelievably silly, and wished she had shut up several sentences ago. 

“You’re not drunk right now, at all?” He asked, still completely disbelieving. 

“Not a drop. Unfortunately.” She said glumly. 

Nick put his face in his hands for a second, and then looked at Sole again. His palms were pressed together in front of his nose, and then he said, slightly muffled: “I don’t know how you could. But I’m not going to lie to you. There are times when I just... like now, when I’m thinking... what’s it like to be that chair?”

Sole blinked, and then remembered her posture. She flushed a deep pink. “Well," Now she felt like she was short circuiting. "Um, uh," She cleared her throat. He was looking at her steadily, seriously, his raggedly handsome face painted with embarrassment and shame. 

Sole suddenly got to her feet, self conscious about her movements as she de-mounted the chair. She folded her hands and looked at them.

"Wait, ah," Nick was rubbing his fingers against his forehead, his eyes closed with stress. "Please don't go. Didn't mean tha--"

Sole took a step to the side of the desk. Nick quit talking and looked at her, surprised, and frowning.

Sole was wearing a tiny smirk. "You don't have to just think it, Nick..." She took another step, now on the other side of the desk, and he turned his body and the chair so he was facing her, his eyes very wide.

"Hmm," Nick made a sound more than spoke. It was a nervous sort of sound. 

"I didn't even know you could..." Sole murmured, as she stepped towards him again. There was a suggestive glint in her eyes. 

Nick sank a little lower in his chair, his lanky legs spread out. He made a movement like a swallow. "Well..." He said, his voice huskier. "I can," He said, and then made another clanking noise.

"Hmm..." She echoed him. "You wanna show me?" She stood in front of him, swaying slightly as she neatly bounced on the balls of her feet, one eyebrow cocked.

"Ah, I... I..." Nick murmured, flustered, as he distractedly gazed at Sole's hips, her waist, her thighs, all muscle and accentuated by her curve-hugging Vault 111 jumpsuit. 

Sole tilted her chin coyly. "Well? Is Ellie in?" She asked. "Erm.. you two aren't..." Her eyes widened with sudden panic, and she shrunk back. Had she just stepped all over Ellie's toes? And his, for that matter?

"No, no no," Nick said, raising a hand, and shaking his head. "It's not that. She ain't here. We're not-- no. It's just..." He raised his eyes to look at her face again. "I'm hard as a rock."

"What?" Sole exclaimed, surprised by his sudden forwardness.

"Huh? Oh, God!" He put his forehead in his hand and winced. "I mean my 'skin' is. It wouldn't be... enjoyable for you, um, touching me," He forced out, his eyes blinking rapidly. He pressed his hand anxiously against his temple. He looked mildly like he might be blowing a fuse, and not the angry way. 

Sole sighed again, smiling. "That's what you're worried about?" She said. She put a hand on her hip. "Damn it, Nick. It's you!" She exclaimed. "I like you just how you are. And if you want it too..." She bit lightly into her lip, her shoulders tight with anticipation.

"I do," He blurted out, rather breathlessly. And he didn't even need to breathe. He hid his face shyly with the shadow of his hat, once again.

"Yeah?" Sole said excitedly. She stepped towards him once more. Her shins were brushing against his knees now. 

"Yeah," Nick said, tilting his head. His voice rumbled a little in his chest. His eyes glinted golden. 

Sole leaned down, brushed her hand against his cool cheek. He seemed to feel it like any human might... the way he reacted to the warmth of her palm.

She leaned forward, brushed her nose against Nick’s. It was pointy and cold... she felt suddenly like it was her mission to warm his metal surface to her temperature, which was climbing by the second. But she found herself nervous, and losing her nerve.

“You gonna kiss me, or what?” Nick said, in a sly voice, his mouth quirking into a smile. He looked like he could hardly believe what he was saying, but that he meant it.

“No patience, huh, Valentine?” Sole teased, though her voice was dampened by surprise. She tugged on his tie, and he jerked forward. They looked at each other a moment. Then they met halfway.

Sole’s warm, pink lips met Nick’s cold, gray ones, and he was pushing against her with a surprising amount of force. And he moved fluidly, synthetics reacting like muscles. He tasted like cigarettes, and metal, and mint.

Nick shook, and Sole gently pulled back, pleased, and looked him over.

“How’s that?” She murmured quietly, straightening up and observing what she’d done to the metal man.

He was slumped lazily in the chair, his eyes, bionic as they were, a little hazy. His hat had tilted to the side, and he straightened it. His mouth wore a playful smile. “Hmm..." He said, like he really had to ponder it. "I think you can do better, sweetheart.” 

“Oh, yeah?” Sole growled. She had not expected him to be so encouraging, and those nicknames... there was the smartass, smooth-talking Nick she knew. Not that his floundering before was anything short of adorable. It seemed he knew just how to excite her. She gave him a filthy smile.

He waited expectantly, a little hesitant, but ready to receive her nonetheless. Sole made a show of slowly lifting one leg and putting her knee on one side of him, on the edge of his chair, and swinging the other leg over so she was straddling him. She held onto the back of the chair to steady herself. Then she let her legs support her on the chair's rickety cross braces, and sat herself down on Nick's lap.

"Oh," Nick said, suddenly, as her weight hit him. He looked like the air had been punched out of him.

Sole frowned. "Did I hurt you?" She asked, and lifted herself slightly, ready to climb right off. 

"No..." Nick chuckled softly, and rubbed his eye. 

"Well?" Sole asked, worried.

Nick sighed. "I just... uhh, I enjoyed how that felt." He smiled shyly.

Sole grinned, catching his meaning. "So you.."

"I did say all the parts, didn't I?" He said, his face suddenly concerned.

Sole laughed, rubbed his arm reassuringly. "Yeah, you sure did."

She adjusted herself, bouncing once and scooting forwards, making the chair wobble. As she settled on him, Nick slowly, uncertainly, slid his arms around her waist, against the worn fabric of the jumpsuit. His hands rested at the small of her back and held her firmly in place. She could feel his hard hips poking against her ass, her legs spread to accommodate his torso.

"I like it, too," Sole murmured, by his ear, her hand moving down from the back of the chair to rest at his shoulder. Now that she was sitting he leaned up to kiss her again, eagerly, and she met him fiercely. Her hand slipped down to his neck, ran across his chest. As she leaned closer the space between them closed, her tongue gently brushed his lower lip.

One of Nick's hands dropped down a little further, until it was holding her steady by her ass. A whirring sound flicked on somewhere in Nick's chest, which made Sole smile. One of her hands moved to hold his face close, against his cheek and ear, as her head nudged his hat and made it lopsided, the other hand moved down his abdomen, where his shirt was tucked into his pants. The chair creaked as she arched to press closer to him, her hips rocking softly against his. His robotic hand trailed up her back to lace in the short, choppy hair at the nape of her neck. 

Yeah, he was all hard surfaces... but he was so tender with them. She grunted softly. "Nick.." She mumbled, when she broke his kiss to breathe, her eyes closed. He didn't have to stop for that reason, there was no telling how long he could keep going...

"Yeah, doll?" He asked, quiet but raspy, and heated, against her cheek.

"You want me to lock the door?" She whispered. Her eyes were half-lidded, her skin flushed, lips red from the friction. 

Nick opened his mouth to answer, looking equally as flustered.

And then, there was an insistent knock on the door.

"Ah, shit!" Nick growled. Sole immediately threw herself on the floor, like she was ducking for cover from gunfire.

"Who is it?" Nick asked across the room, looking at Sole where she was splayed out behind the desk. He gestured for her to get up, and she shook her head.

"Nick?" The visitor called.

"Yeah!" Nick replied, in a somewhat stern voice.

"It's Piper. I'm coming in--" Before Nick could argue, she was turning the noisy handle. Nick gave Sole a panicked look. She looked at him with equal alarm, and quickly sat up and scooted up against a nook between a filing cabinet and the desk, making herself into a ball. 

Nick swiftly turned the chair around and scooted it as close as he could to the desk, sitting stiffly. As Piper came in, he cleared his throat.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked, shutting the door behind her.

"Oh, yeah," He said, and nodded. "What's goin' on?" He asked, his voice a little clipped. But he was too polite for his own good.

Piper's eyes narrowed for a moment. "I was just looking for Sole." Nick twitched. Sole stilled herself in her hiding place.

"Have you seen her anywhere? Apparently Hancock's looking for her, too." Piper folded her arms.

Sole knew that Nick was not great at lying, at least not when it wasn't terribly important. And, he didn’t like to. As Nick hesitated, she unfolded herself.

"Yeah, I saw her earlier," Nick began. Sole bonked his ankle with her foot. He shook her off. "But she left. I think she went to run some errands around the city before heading out again."

Piper sighed. "Yeah, she was supposed to see me. But it's okay. I'll try to find her." She turned to leave, and Nick relaxed. But then she paused, and turned around again.

"Say," She began, and Nick tensed again. "Were you in a fight or something?" She asked, frowning. "Or--" She gasped softly. "Nick, do you have a girl here?"

Nick froze. "Huh?" He looked at her blankly.

Piper took one more step forward. Her intuition was just too formidable... "Do you... have a girl here?" She asked in a lower voice, and then smirked, looking over his rumpled appearance. 

"Well, you'd think if I did," Nick chuckled. "That I'd lock the door." 

"Yeah, but.. sometimes..." Piper made a whimsy gesture with her hand. "Stuff happens. I'm just wondering."

"Um, n--" Nick began. Sole nudged her foot against him again. "Yes," He said, in a slightly confused, and embarrassed tone.

"Ah," Piper said, her smirk widening. "Good for you, Nicky!" She laughed mischievously. "Where'd she go?" Piper asked, glancing around the room at possible hiding spots. Sole hugged the filing cabinet.

"Upstairs," Nick said quickly. 

Piper nodded, looking pleased. "Sorry, being nosy. Journalistic instincts. I'll... leave you to it," She said. She winked, and gave Nick a thumbs up. "Lock the door first, though," She advised, with a chuckle, then made herself scarce.

Once the door was closed, Nick swiftly rose to his feet and did exactly that. He paused at the door, his hand against the lock. Sole got to her feet, brushed herself off, and looked at his back. 

She forced a chuckle. "Well, that was interesting timing," She said. She began to pace in the middle of the room. "Piper's funny that way..." She looked over at his hunched shoulders, wincing.

Nick sighed as he turned around, and took off his hat, rubbed his head, and placed it back. He strolled over to her, putting his hands in his pockets, and leaving a decent amount of distance between them. "They're looking for you." He said, a little solemnly. "I'm not sure this is such a good... Maybe you should.." He looked down.

Sole frowned. "They can wait, Nick. Really." She looked longingly at him. "Unless you want me to.." She scuffed her boots on the floor.

"No, I.." He fiddled with his hand. "It's not that I.."

"I understand," She said, her face hardening. "I'll go."

She began to walk towards the door, her body feeling immensely heavy. When she passed Nick, he caught her arm. "I don't want to ruin our friendship," He forced out. "Or the investigation."

Sole's jaw tightened. "Me neither," She began to wiggle her arm free from his iron grip. "I really don't want to do that." She looked at him with a sharp tenderness. "But, I do like you, Nick."

Nick stopped her once more, his grasp tighter this time. "I like you, too," He said, his face serious. 

She looked at him, and blinked. "Oh." Her cheeks pinked. She gave him a small, pleased, and compromising smile. "It's okay," She said. "Doesn't have to be now," She shrugged. "Or ever."

He pulled on her arm. She stumbled a little closer to him. "I'm not good at this," He grumbled.

Sole looked at him, met his gaze, her eyes sympathetic. "You don't have to be," She said, and raised her eyebrows.

"In that case..." Nick pulled her into his arms urgently, and held her. She hugged him tightly, and kissed him, knocking his hat off. It sailed to the floor. He responded so quickly that one of his joints made a cranking noise, his hands at her back, holding her to him as they kissed with greater passion that before.

"You sure?" She asked, quickly.

"Yes," He grunted. "To hell with the rest of it."

"Mm!"

Sole backed him up until he hit the metal of the door with a clang, to which he was a little disoriented, but he smiled. "I know you can't break me, but be careful, 'kay?" He drawled, as she pinned him, and moved her lips to his neck. She placed little kisses on the synthetic skin, knowing she could leave no mark, but still excite him. She was careful of the jagged edges where his face had been broken, but found that the soft touch of her breathing on those places made him shiver.

Nick was not holding back now, he grazed his hand over her ass, the back of her thigh, lifted her leg by the back of her knee. She leaned into it, and he exclaimed softly as she bit his ear.  
"Upstairs?" He managed to get out, as she urgently returned to his mouth.

"Here's fine," She breathed. Before she knew it, he was picking her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Jeez, you're strong," She murmured, not really having realized it before. He carried her swiftly to the edge of the desk he had been sitting at, and knocked the chair she had been sitting in before out of the way. 

"Get me a cig, would you?" He asked, as he lifted one leg to kick over the stuff on the surface, which was mostly paperwork, an ashtray, a lamp and an old coffee cup. 

"While...?" She asked, as she fumbled for one on top of the filing cabinet, still clinging to him, while the stuff crashed to the floor.

"Trust me," He said. He set her down on the desk, effortlessly. She put one in each of their mouths and, with a lighter she kept tucked in a small pocket on her jumpsuit, lit both of them. 

"You're onto something, detective," Sole said, chuckling. He nodded, his expression saying 'Right?', as he pressed the cigarette between his lips and puffed it, while he pulled off his suspenders and gun holster. 

Sole leaned back on her hand, watching him. She blew a plume of smoke towards him playfully, and toyed with the zipper at the top of her jumpsuit. 

"You are somethin'," He murmured, watching her watch him. She wore a coy smile on her lips, eyelashes casting shadows against her cheeks in the dim light. He took a long draw on his cigarette, and before it could escape through the cracks in his face, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers airily, to shotgun the smoke into her mouth.

As Sole breathed it in, and then puffed out the immense amount of smoke, she blushed and gave him a surprised look when the air cleared. 

"That's a Hancock type move, right there," She commented, pleasantly impressed. 

Nick smiled, and kept leaning forwards, put his hands on the desk at her sides so he was level with her. "Kid's got some good tricks, then," He said, bashfully. 

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” She sighed. "I'm sure you've got more up your sleeve," Sole smirked, as she leaned forward, and kissed him, her cigarette dropping ashes over his shoulder. She was light-headed, warm, and full of desire, and hoped they were still on the same page.

As they kissed, Sole unzipped the top of her jumpsuit. Nick saw her exposed throat, her collarbone, and began to press hard kisses there. His hand gently traced the center of her chest, and she encouraged him just within the hem. She smoked while he felt her up.

"Nothing under there?" He commented slyly, as he touched her. "The chafing must be unbearable."

She laughed softly, between sighs. "You have no idea," She murmured.

"You're so soft," He murmured against her skin, while his hand explored. He snubbed out his cig on the desk top, clearly too busy to smoke it anymore. His touch was abrasive, but gentle, and it made Sole tremble.

"Is it okay if I...?" He asked softly, his metallic hand on her zipper. She nodded enthusiastically, and he followed the zipper as far down as it would go.

She was eager to do the same to him. She looked at him for a moment, and he nodded. She began to undo his tie, and the rest of the buttons on his shirt. She held his gaze as she did it, intimate and slow.

Then his belt, his pants, some finagling on the lower part of her suit...

\--

Piper rushed from Valentine Detective Agency to the noodle bar, and threw herself into the swivel chair next to Hancock that she had previously been occupying.

"Yep. They're totally boning right now," She said dejectedly, picked up her beer and took a long swig. "I could see the blue and yellow of her damn jumpsuit clear as day. And, Nick's bad at lying," She grumbled. 

"I told ya!" Hancock said triumphantly. "I knew they were fuckin'. Just somethin' about how she was talking about him this week, y'know? And the way she walked over there."

Piper sighed and slammed the caps she owed down on the bar, and slid them to Hancock. "Fine. You were right." 

Hancock grinned gladly, took the caps and pocketed them. "Always am." He said, and continued slurping up the noodle between his chopsticks.

Piper tapped the neck of her bottle. "How long do you think?" She asked.

Hancock paused and looked at her. "'Till they're done?" He laughed. "I think it'd be--"

"No!" Piper snapped, and elbowed him. "How long they've been a thing."

Hancock laughed again. "Based on how she was with me the other night, well..." He whistled. "Probably not long. Maybe first time, right now."

"Damn." Piper sighed again. "Let's hope she doesn't forget about us," she said, sadly. 

Hancock picked up his drink and gave her a reassuring smile. "Here, here." He clinked his bottle with hers.

As she drank, he looked her over. "In the meantime..." He nudged her, and smirked.

She frowned at him, but genuinely pondered it as she polished off her drink, and ordered another.

\--

Sole panted, holding onto the front of Nick's unbuttoned shirt. She rested her head against his chest, and it made a hollow thunk sound. She hugged him, feeling the metal becoming warm where her face pressed against it. She was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and shining. 

Nick held onto her, looking over her shoulder. He was still, and she patted her hand against his side. "You there?" She asked, her voice raspy now. 

"Mm," He responded. His mind, normally so sharp, was trying to catch up. "Circuits overloaded," He said, quietly, electric shocks still pulsing through his mind. Sole could hear a faint thrumming sound coming from him.

Suddenly Nick's eyes went black, and he slumped forward on top of her. "Nick?" She exclaimed, catching him before he crushed her. "Nick? Oh my god, Nick?!" She shook him gently. "Oh, fuck, I killed him!" She cried, almost dropping his heavy, limp body.

Nick suddenly made a zapping sound, and blinked. "Oh, shit," He mumbled, catching himself and straightening up, while Sole anxiously pawed at him. "What happened!" She exclaimed.

"I think I shut down," He said, somewhat dreamily. "I didn't know that could happen."

"I thought I killed you dead," Sole scolded, and gently whacked him with the limp arm of her jumpsuit.

"Sorry, darlin'," Nick said, though there was a teasing smile in the corner of his mouth. "You almost did."

"Commere," She sighed, tugging him closer, and he kissed her, still shaking with the residual pleasure. "God that was good," She said, her body aching in all the right ways, and trembling.

"I'll say," Nick laughed. He kissed her forehead. "You're beautiful, doll. Really." 

Sole hugged him tightly. "You are too, you old rustbucket." 

She pulled back after a moment, and began to re-zip her jumpsuit. Nick followed suit, and re-buttoned his pants and shirt, recovered his suspenders, retrieved his gun holster from the floor. She hopped down from the desk, and he put his hat back on.

"You're not, uh, leaving now, are ya?" He asked, softly. He had begun to worry that maybe... that one time might have been it. “I’d understand if you wanted to...” 

Sole smoothed out her suit, ran her hand through her hair and paused. "Not if you don't want me to," She replied, equally soft.

Nick took a step towards her. "Do you wanna, maybe... I dunno.. haven't done it in years, like I haven't done that.."

Sole looked shocked. "You hadn't done that in years?"

Nick shook his head. "Not that I remember," He said. 

It dawned on Sole slowly that she had maybe been the first one he'd had sex with as a synth. "Oh, man," She said. "No way. You were too damn good."

Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, thank you."

Sole blinked, thinking about it. "Wow!" She exclaimed. She wandered back over to him, curious about this. That just couldn't be true, how smooth he was all the time, with everyone, the name he had for himself. "What is it you wanna do?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Um.." Nick looked at his shoes. "What's a non embarrassing word..." He thought for a moment. "I got nothin'. Cuddle. That's what I'm thinking of."

Sole dissolved into a fit of chuckles. "Oh, my god," She whispered. "Yes."

Nick smiled, rolled his eyes at her, and lifted her up in a fireman's carry. "Okay, you agreed to this, remember."

Sole laughed harder as he picked her up like she was nothing. "Nick!" She exclaimed. He carried her around the corner and up the stairs, to the bed she supposed was his. He plopped her down on the mattress, and then followed with his own clambering on, his hat tumbling off as he did.

"You need to glue this thing on or something," Sole joked, as she caught it and waved it at him. He made a false grimace, and snatched it back, then rested it over his eyes.

Sole laid next to him, feeling immensely happy and warm. Nick laid still for a bit, waiting. 

"Well?" He asked, from beneath his hat. "Are you gonna let me hold you, or what?" An arm lay outstretched. 

"Oh, yeah," Sole said shyly. 

She rolled into his arm, and snuggled up close to him. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair gently. And they both snoozed. 

Or, at least, pretended to snooze, and enjoyed the gentle, calming feeling of each other's touch instead.


End file.
